1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an intermediate terminal for an electrical connection box and, particularly to an intermediate terminal into which a tab of a busbar mounted in an electrical connection box and a tab of a functional part such as a fuse or a relay are inserted to establish the electrical connection between the busbar and the functional part. Especially, it is designed to mount an intermediate terminal in the electrical connection box independently of a direction in which the tab of the relay or of like mating part is inserted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An electrical connection box used to connect a wiring harness for an automotive vehicle with a variety of wiring devices is adapted to realize a rational and economical junction connection of the wiring by concentrating points of junction connection on one location. A variety of types of such electrical connection boxes are being developed for different types of vehicles and for different purposes while the wiring harness is made more compact.
In the above junction box, there are mounted intermediate terminals 3, 3 for connecting, for example, tabs 1a, 1a of a fuse 1 and tabs 2a, 2a of a busbar or like device mounted in the junction box as shown in FIG. 6(A).
A variety of intermediate terminals 3 having different structures have been proposed. Most of them are directional in the vertical direction and the forward/backward direction, i.e. the shape of the terminals differs at its top and bottom and at its front side and rear side, respectively.
For example, as shown in FIGS. 7(A) and 7(B), the structure of the intermediate terminal 3 has such a shape.
An intermediate terminal 3 formerly proposed by the present inventors and shown in FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B) is non-directional, i.e. has the same structure at its top and bottom and at its front and back, respectively (Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 5-79889).
The intermediate terminal 3 shown in FIGS. 8(A) and 8(B) has generally the shape of a rectangular column. At the front and the rear ends of the intermediate terminal 3, respectively, pairs of arcuate connecting spring portions 3b, 3b and 3c, 3c project inwardly from its front and rear surfaces 3a, 3a, forming a clearance between each pair so that the tabs 1a or 2a can be inserted at will from top or bottom. Generally, the tab 1a of the fuse 1 is inserted into the clearance between the connecting spring portions 3b and 3b at the top end of the intermediate terminal 3, whereas the tab 2a of the busbar or like device is inserted into the clearance between the connecting spring portions 3c and 3c at the bottom end thereof.
However, only the upper and lower ends of the intermediate terminal are identical in that terminals can be inserted from any end. Accordingly, if the tab 1a is mounted in a different direction (e.g. turned about its axis by 90.degree.), the intermediate terminal 3 has to be mounted in the junction box so that the tab 1a can be inserted thereinto. Then, the intermediate terminal 3 cannot be used unless the tab 1a of the fuse 1 and the tab 2a of the busbar or like device extend in the same direction as shown in FIG. 6(A).
Accordingly, in the case where the tabs 2a, 2a of the busbars or like devices are opposed each other, and thus turned by 90.degree., as shown in FIG. 6(B), such a problem arises where the tabs 2a, 2a can be inserted into the ends of the intermediate terminals 3, 3, but the tabs 1a, 1a of the fuses 1 cannot be inserted into the other ends of the intermediate terminals 3, 3.
Further, in the case where 10 to 30 fuses 1 are mounted in the electrical connection box, twice as many intermediate terminals, namely, 20 to 60 intermediate terminals are required. In this case, even if the respective tabs 1a and 2a extend in the same direction, when one fuse 1' is mounted in a different direction (rotated by 90.degree.) as shown in FIG. 9, the intermediate terminals 3 to be connected with this fuse 1 needs to be turned in conformity with the mounting direction of this fuse 1'. This makes the construction of an apparatus for automatically inserting the intermediate terminal 3 complicated, thereby leading to an increased production cost.
If the fuses 1 are mounted in the same direction in order to avoid this problem, a design of an internal circuitry of the electrical connection box is subject to more limitation.
The invention is developed to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a more versatile intermediate terminal.